Lock and Key
by coldqueen
Summary: REVISEDRETELLING of Evo Epi Lock and Key. Rogel twist.
1. Angel Arrives

Summary: Retelling of the episode **Lock and Key**, with a Rogue/Angel twist.

* * *

Rogue sat up from where she'd been laying on the couch. The professor had just telepathically called all X-Men to his library. He'd done so in such a (mental) voice that it brooked no arguments and sounded serious. She stood up and started for the door, only to stop when Kurt suddenly teleported in front of her.

"I don't think he meant for you to come, Rogue," Kurt said in his heavy German accent. Kurt may have been her brother, but that didn't mean she understood what he was saying in his big accent...though others had the same problem with her (her accent, not being her brother).

"Of course he did, or else he wouldn't have said it in mah head, too."

"Vell, at least let me teleport you there," Rogue began to protest but Kurt grabbed her arm and then they were in the library. They were the first to arrive so Rogue walked over to get the chair seat. Kurt moved as if to help her but she gave him one of her patented 'death glares'.

"Ah'm fine Kurt. Ah am not tired, and there is no damage to mah mind. If ya don't believe me, ask Logan, that danger room session was tough as he...llo professor." Kurt turned to see Xavier wheel himself into the library from the main hall.

"She's quite right, Kurt. All physical and mental tests have been passed. She is fine. That is why I wanted you here, Rogue. Since you absorbed Logan a day ago, and had no physical or mental problems because of it, I believe that you're ready for a mission."

"Hell yeah!"

"I need you to be with the X-Men on this one, we'll need the team factor here, and you are an important member of the team." Xavier stopped here and watched as the rest of the X-Men filled in. Bobby was at the door, but didn't come in. Jean shut the door with her telepathy and turned to the professor.

"This morning, as you all know, Angel came to see me." At these words Angel stepped from the hallway into the library. Bobby was still standing right outside the door. Angel, a.k.a. Warren Wellington III, nodded to everyone but his eyes focused on Rogue automatically. _Hard not to_, he thought, _she's so beautiful_.

"As of last night, Magneto has both the first part of the second key to the doors of Apocalypse, and he has Mesmero. I have Mr. McCoy working on locating the second part of the key. Angel, would you tell them everything you told me?"

Rogue looked at Angel while he spoke. She would never tell anyone but when they had been soaring above the New York skyline last Christmas, she had felt something she had never felt before. When she got back to the manor, she had dismissed it as a fleeting thing, but it was back again. It was subtle, a light clenching of the stomach. She felt slightly lightheaded, too. He was gorgeous though. He had light blonde hair, steely blue eyes that delved right into your soul. He was, literally, the image of what an angel should look like. _But as everyone knows, Ah'm no angel, not even close_, Rogue thought to herself.

Looking around the room she saw both Kitty and Jean giving Angel the same appraising looks she had just given him, and felt foolish. He would never be interested in someone like her. _Ah can't even touch for God's sake_. Rogue looked away, to the Professor, to make sure that he hadn't caught the thoughts in her head. It wasn't likely but it had happened before.

"Okay, X-Men, let's be on your way, Mr. McCoy has found where the second part is. Its in London and it'll take us at least an hour to get there." Scott told the group after a subtle signal (and telepathic message from the Professor), automatically taking over as usual. Rogue didn't mind though. She'd used to have a crush on Scott, but after last Christmas, after meeting Angel it had all seemed childish, so the crush had dissipated and eventually it felt like it had never existed.

Rogue got up from the couch and followed the others out the door. She never noticed that as Angel stood to follow, his eyes never left her walking form.


	2. Rogue's New Power

'Rogue, may I see you in the back?' Rogue jolted at the sound of a voice in her head. She may not be telepathic but she had several mental shields, thanks to her "gifts". The Professor could project his thoughts into her head, but even he couldn't get much farther than that.

'Sure,' she thought back, letting her shields down for a second to let him hear that. She rose to go meet him, garnering the gazes of Angel and Jean who were sitting behind her, flirting more than likely but she had refused to eavesdrop. She walked swiftly past them and to the 'pit' as the X-Men liked to call the back room of the X-Jet where they most often stored things. It was now empty though, because of the needed space, they _were_ carrying two extra members, Angel and Bobby, who had refused to be left behind and had stow-awayed.

"Yes, professor?" Rogue called out. She walked in but stopped when she saw the professor talking to Bobby. He was lecturing him on controlling his impulses and responsibilities. Rogue could remember when she had gotten a similar lecture.

"That will be all, Mr. Drake, you may have Rogue's seat up front."

"Ah take it we'll be back here awhile?" Rogue asked as Bobby went up front.

"Rogue, I need to ask a favor of you." Professor Xavier continued when Rogue just shrugged. "With Wolverine and Storm out on another mission, we are two strong players short, and I'm not sure we have the man power to defeat Magneto. That's where you come in. I know it's a lot, but the incident a week ago has demonstrated that you have a lot of power that you can tap into. The summoning of past-absorbed powers for one. Not to mention that you can use them in conjunction with others.

"I know it's a lot to ask but we need you to become the mutant you were destined to be. The world needs that mutant. Now I can help you find the strength to call up the powers but it will take a lot out of you, as evident by the fact that you slept for several days after it first happened. I truly believe that you can do it, Rogue. I believe in you."

Rogue stood there silently for a minute; after all, it was a lot to take in. When the psyches had taken over, she had barely been aware of what was happening. After Mystique's betrayal she had wanted comfort and she had found it within herself. The professor had helped her to come back, and that had helped too. Now she was ready to try something different.

"Yes."

"Okay, Rogue, I want you to come sit here, this will take time." Rogue took the seat across from the professor and did everything he asked. She concentrated as hard as she could. Several minutes passed as Rogue dropped her mental shields and felt the Professor's presence in her head.

"Something is not right."

"Ah know what ya mean, this isn't the same."

"What was different last time, Rogue?"

"Well, the powers weren't coming from me awake; they were more of a subconscious thing."

"Then you will need to be unconscious." Suddenly Rogue felt a psychic blast knock her unconscious, but as she fell into the darkness she remembered the Professor and the mission, and held back the instincts that had her clenching her hands and reaching for the small pocket knife she kept hidden in her jacket.

* * *

When Rogue became aware, she was in a dark place and she was alone. Rogue knew instantly that she was in her subconscious. She needed to find the psyches, the ones who had comforted her on that fateful day.

"Please, come to me, I need your help." Rogue felt a small inkling from her right and turned to it. Standing before her was a shadowy form of Scott.

"They are afraid."

"Why?"

"Because you locked us away, kept us in the dark, they don't like the dark, we don't like the dark."

"Ah'm sorry, it will never happen again, but Ah need ya."

"We will help, but you must also help us."

"How?"

"Give us love and attention, we are part of you." At that Scott opened his arms and out of the shadows came dozens of psyches, all keeping their distance. "We are one and we are all, we are the fear, the hate, the love, we are everything and everyone you think of. We are you."

Rogue looked at the psyches and whispered tearfully, "I'm sorry." She knelt and looked around, but became aware very suddenly of a voice from above.

"Rogue, come back." The professor was calling her.

"Please, I need your help now." The psyches said nothing but Rogue felt their agreement. But Rogue was unsure of whom to use, she didn't trust herself to use more than one at a time, she was new at this and she didn't want to overload again.

At that thought a shadowy figure emerged from the vapor. It was Magneto, the result of the one time she had absorbed him, in New York when she had been helping Angel. "I will help most."

Rogue nodded her agreement and felt herself begin to wake. When she opened her eyes she saw the Professor's anxiety immediately. As she stood, she felt Magneto's powers begin to fill her, and knew that her eyes had begun to glow with the fiery light that was pure magnetism.

"Let's do this."


	3. Announcements

Warren was getting worried. Rogue had been back there a long time. She had looked troubled when she had walked past him. Not that she would have known he was looking. He had at the time been ignoring the rather obnoxious Jean Grey who couldn't take the hint that he was uninterested in her. By the looks Scott was giving him he had an idea of who was interested in whom.

"Don't you think, Angel?" Jean asked bringing Warren out of his thoughts. Warren had no idea what she had asked but was saved the disgrace of letting on that he had not been listening when Professor Xavier came through the doorway, followed by a dangerous looking Rogue.

Rogue was not walking on the ground, she was levitating, and her eyes glowed with a white light that he had only seen in Magneto. She followed Xavier to the doorway but stopped there and lowered herself to the ground. She looked startled but not more than the other X-Men.

"Vat vas that?" Kurt asked peering over his seat to Rogue. Likewise the rest of the mutants were doing the same.

"It appears that Rogue has evolved. More than likely from the incident at the concert. That was merely a demonstration if you will, this is the actual act." The X-Men all intoned their congratulations, though Jean's was tinged with jealousy. Kitty was very happy, saying that finally Rogue could help get others into trouble. But they all stayed marginally away, they were all wary of the glowing eyes.

"What's, like, with the eyes?" Kitty asked after they had all calmed down.

"Rogue has invoked Magneto's power; she felt that that power would help the most." Finally they all settled down and realized that they would be landing in ten minutes. They settled back in their seats, Rogue remained standing, as Bobby had taken her seat. The Professor was apparently done explaining things, and wheeled to the front of the plane where Scott was driving.

"Congrats Rogue, I'm happy for you," Warren said from where he sat in front of her.

"Thank you, Warren," Rogue said, but her voice was different. It had a second tone that sounded like Magneto. Rogue then turned back to the front ignoring everyone completely.

"X-Men, we'll land on top of the museum in a few minutes. Jean, Angel, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, I want you outside on the lookout for Magneto's team. Rogue, Cyclops, Iceman, I want you inside finding and protecting the second part. I will be on the look out for Mesmero." When they arrived, Xavier turned to them and whispered quietly, "Good luck."


	4. The Battle

When the X Men arrived at the museum, the outside was undisturbed. This meant nothing as Magneto's team could still be inside. Rogue, Scott, and Bobby had been sent inside, where they proceeded to split up. In addition to them, the professor joined Rogue once they had performed a sweep.

"They're not in here, sugah."

"No matter, Rogue, they will be soon." As if in response the doors on the other side of the main hall exploded outward. As Rogue and the Professor slipped into the shadows unseen, Magneto and the Acolytes stepped into the now overly large doorframe.

"Split up and keep any unwanted visitors away," Magneto stated, directing it at his minions. Before they could actually do it, the professor rolled out of the shadows.

"Magneto, don't do this."

"Xavier, old friend, don't interfere."

"I can't help it, what you're doing cannot happen." The Acolytes began to move towards the Professor but a gesture from Magneto stopped them. Magneto stepped towards the Professor and smiled.

"You are not . . ." at these words the professor's metal chair lifted off the ground, barely two inches . . . " powerful . . ." another inch . . . "enough to stop me." The chair was now a foot above the ground and Rogue knew that now was the time to step up and help.

Xavier's chair lowered back to the ground, against Magneto's will. Rogue glided out of the shadows, where she hovered several feet above the ground. "He may not be, Erik, but Ah am."

Magneto was shocked, he stared dumbfounded at the girl glowing with his power, the girl just as powerful as him, and saw a worthy adversary. "You, child, are nothing compared to me." Magneto rose above the ground where he too hovered. He waved his hand to the Acolytes and told them to find Mesmero. They left and he once again turned to Rogue. "What makes you think you can handle me? I am the most powerful mutant in the world."

"You're half right, darlin', you WERE the most powerful mutant." Rogue pointed her hand to the wall, where a metal beam came bursting out and slammed into Magneto. He quickly recovered and manipulated the beam to hit Rogue, but her instincts were too fast and she dodged it, never dropping an inch to the ground.

"Is that all you got, ol' man?" Rogue asked laughing. Using Magneto's powers, she pulled metal wiring from the floor and commanded them to enfold Magneto. Magneto struggled with them, in his panic unable to utilize his powers. Knowing this, Rogue came close, and whispered in his ear.

"How does it feel to know that you can be beat, that you are no longer on top of the food chain, how does it feel to know that you are no longer are the top dog? I wanted to know since you are no longer those things." Rogue laughed as she backed up a little from him. An idea stirred in her mind.

Rogue pulled up all of Magneto's power, calling all the magnetic energy into a tight ball. Then she released it, creating a magnetic blast that threw Magneto into a wall unconscious. She lowered herself to the ground, feeling a bit tired but knowing that she had to go on.

Rogue was walking down the halls of a museum when she sensed another presence coming towards her. She turned to see a security guard being chased by a large horse made of fire. The guard locked himself in a maintenance closet and the mutant chasing him, Pyro, stopped and turned to her.

" 'Ey sheila, wanna play?"

"Chil', you don't know who you're messing with." Rogue once again felt the elating feeling of power imbibe her and knew that her eyes once again glowed like Magneto's.

"I 'as jus' playin' doll, no need to ge' feisty." The metal ceiling lamp wrapped around Pyro like a snake, and lift him up against the ceiling where he fell unconscious. Rogue made her way back to the main hall. She turned to where Magneto should have lain and found him gone.

"Shit." Rogue turned around hoping that he hadn't made it to the other half of the spider yet. She could hear Scott and Bobby fighting not too far from where she was and considered helping them but knew they would not appreciate it. Guys are so touché. Rogue headed towards the wing where the second part of the spider key should have been.

A glowing card drifted down to where she was walking and knowing already what they could do, Rogue did a graceful back flip away, just in time to not get blown away. The man who had thrown it jumped from his perch on the ceiling and landed deftly on his feet. Rogue looked at him and couldn't help but think to herself, _God, Ah hope this doesn't take long.  
_  
"Chère, you are très beautiful."

Rogue looked at Gambit and felt frustration arise, but with it came something else, longing. "Ah'm not in the mood, go away." Rogue smiled as she said this, a bitter aggressive smile.

"Non, I t'ink not." Gambit stepped closer, a little too close. Rogue gave him a large hundred-watt smile and leaned towards him.

"Between you and me, ya should work on ya lines, Swamp Rat." Rogue jumped quickly and did another back flip, this time her foot connected with his jaw and slammed him into a wall. Gambit looked at her astonished. No woman had ever, EVER, not been affected. Even the little old ladies had been affected. He was about to get up when a large rumble shook the building. Rogue ran to the window, Gambit joined her there, where they watched a large green spider break through a wall and proceed to walk away. They could see in the window Magneto trying to hold it back, but failing. Colossus was equally visible running after it. Along with Scott, Bobby, and Pyro.

Gambit turned to the fille beside him. Rogue felt a sudden pain fill her mind and grimaced.

'W'at's wrong?" Gambit asked, his concern for the young woman evident. He had no idea why he felt this way but knew that he felt strong emotions for her. Just as quickly, he remembered why he was there and what he was supposed to be doing.

"Don' touch me." Rogue said, before turning and running away from him. Rogue knew what the pain was from and had to find the professor. Rogue ran and ran and finally found him. He was outside locked in a fierce mental battle with Mesmero. Rogue knew that Mesmero was hurting the Professor and had to do something. So she did the only thing she could think of. She absorbed Mesmero.

Flashes of scenes filled her mind. A large mountain tomb. Tibetan monks praying in the background while she searched. A presence, large and perfect, filling her with power, with knowledge.

When Rogue opened her eyes she knew instinctively that she had only been out for seconds. The professor was beside her; Mesmero was unconscious on the ground.

"Thank you, Rogue, I didn't know how long I could hold him."

"Professor, we have to stop Magneto." Knowledge bloomed and aligned itself in her head. Suddenly, she knew exactly what was happening and why.

"Yes, I know Rogue . . ."

"No, you don't. Mesmero is manipulating Magneto. If he destroys the spider, then he's just playing into Mesmero's plan. He needs that spider to be destroyed to open the second door!" Rogue words slammed into Angel as he landed softly beside her.

"Angel, I need you to take Rogue as fast as you can to the spider, we must stop Magneto." Angel nodded and lifted Rogue in his arms. She was a petite girl so she weighed very little. Rogue wrapped her arms around Angel's neck and turned her nose into his cheek. As they soared above the large body of water between them and the spider, Rogue admitted something to herself. She needed this contact. Even if he was into Jean, and didn't harbor a little affection for her. More importantly, she was weakening, she wouldn't last much longer. As if knowing this Angel flew a little faster.

The large spider came into sight and Rogue turned slightly to see it. It was a truly magnificent sight. The large spider encased in flames. Rising majestically. However, something was wrong. A figure stood in the fire too. Magneto.

"Nooooooo!" Rogue screamed as they landed, seconds too late. The spider was no more; Mesmero's plan had worked. Anger filled Rogue and she pulled herself from Angel's arms. She walked to where Magneto stood, weakened. The X-Men stood together watching her, same as the Acolytes (sans Gambit) watched her. She stepped close to Magneto and spoke in a trembling voice.

"You fool. You allowed your ego to direct your actions. Now we all suffer for it. You were manipulated, controlled! Mesmero used you to destroy the spider ..."

"No! That spider was a key!"

"Yes! A key, and a protector! By destroying it, you have opened the second door to Apocalypse! Why would you not listen! We tried to explain to you but your ego..." to accentuate this point Rogue shoved her finger in his chest..."wouldn't allow you to listen. Next time accept help, instead of condemning us all with your stupidity!" Throughout this entire speech Rogue's southern accent, which had returned as she weakened and the borrowed power slipped away, had been replaced with a resonance filled with power, Mesmero's power. 

Rogue stepped away from Magneto and back to Angel. She felt Mesmero's powers return to their master and a small copy of them go into a sort of stasis within her. It was draining and within seconds she slumped into a coma, falling into Angel's arms, where he lifted her with concern evident on his face.


	5. Happy Endings?

Darkness. Quiet. She was floating. It was calm. Like a dream. Was she dreaming? Was she dead? She didn't care. Here, there was peace like she had never known. But there was longing, too. And with that longing came the presence. It was strong, formidable. And within her. A part of her. He was calling her, he needed her.

"Rogue! I thought you said she was, like, awake?"

"I said she was waking up."

Rogue didn't want to open her eyes. It was too comforting where she was. Unconsciously she stretched a little.

"Rogue, it's me, Kitty! Come on, you're, like, totally faking it now!" Rogue peeped one eye open and stared straight into Kitty's. "Told ya she was faking."

Rogue opened both eyes to see who Kitty was talking to but only saw a big blue furry wall. Mr. McCoy, a.k.a. Beast. She was disappointed but didn't know why. Kitty leaned over and pressed a button raising her bed up into a sitting position. Then, satisfied with that, she launched herself at Rogue.

"Don't ever do that again! I was like TOTALLY freaking. You got all carried in, and that Angel dude wouldn't let anyone touch you, Logan was p'oed at that, and you were in a coma."

"Asleep," Mr. McCoy interjected.

"For like a week. We were all worried. Are you alright? You want some muffins? I just made some!"

"Rogue is not allowed to have solid foods just yet, Kitty." Mr. McCoy winked at Rogue over his shoulder, everyone but Kitty knowing that by solid he meant break-your-tooth-solid, hard-as-a-rock solid, throw-through-a-wall solid.

Rogue's thoughts would have continued along those lines for a while but at that moment pandemonium broke out. The X-Men, along with all the new recruits descended on Rogue, making sure she was alright, that she had everything, telling her what happened. And through it all, Warren was nowhere to be seen.

A week later, Rogue was finally allowed to leave the med lab, and return to her bedroom, alone thankfully, she had gotten her own room when the mansion had been rebuilt. She was lying on her bed, content to be lazy and not answer any annoying questions asked a million times by millions of people, or so it seemed.

There was a knock at the door, Rogue's belly jumped and tightened. She wouldn't even hazard a guess as to who it could have been, but hell, she could hope.

"Come in," she called out. The door opened and a small figure in the doorframe lunged into the room and slammed the door shut. "Jamie?" Rogue asked. The light was out, she preferred the dark, headaches you know? The little person, who had rocketed into her room, crawled onto the bed and hugged Rogue. Tears pricked her eyes; no one had ever voluntarily gotten close to her since her mutation. "What's wrong, sugah?"

"Don't ever do that again, promise?" Now, in this bedroom, all pretense of matureness dissolved, because inside no matter what he did or said, Jamie was young, barely eleven, and still needed to be held every once and a while.

"Ah promise." Jaime hugged her tighter for a second, then walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. A tear slid down her cheek, she had a soft spot for Jaime. Not many kids would've handled their mutation manifesting at such an early age as well as he did, that took guts, and Rogue admired that.

"What's wrong?" The voice came from the balcony, which she had left open in an attempt for fresh air. Rogue jumped a good two inches into the air at the sound of the voice. Turning she expected to see an enemy or someone like that, she didn't expect to see Warren. She had given up hope of him coming to see her anytime soon.

"Nothin'." Warren stepped out of the shadows. He was even more gorgeous than she remembered. Course she only just saw him a week ago, but still memories fade. "What are yah doin' here?"

"I thought I would come and see how you're doing?" Rogue loved his voice. It had the slightest British accent, and went so smoothly. "And maybe..." Rogue was standing now.

"And maybe...what?" Rogue asked. The steady blush working its way up his neck to his face fascinated her.

"And maybe take you out to dinner." Seeing the shocked look on her face, Warren jumped to the wrong conclusion. "You're right, its stupid forget I said anything."

Warren moved to leave, but Rogue moved a hand to stop him. "Its not stupid, just surprising. Ah mean, most people don't want to come close to me, let alone date me."

"Who said anything about dating?" Warren asked, Rogue paled and back up a step. "I don't was to just date you, I want you to be my girlfriend."

Rogue smiled at him, that surprising smile, the one she gives that takes you completely by surprise and you can't stop smiling back. "Ok."

Warren held out his hand, and Rogue put her gloved one in his. Then lifting her up, Warren leaped off the balcony and flew into the sky.


End file.
